Friday, March 9, 2018

Escada, named after a racehorse was founded in 1976 by Margaretha and Wolfgang Ley in Munich, Germany.

Escada offered top quality in fabrics, fit, and workmanship at affordable prices as well as sophisticated designs.

In 1982, Escada branched off into other markets including the United States and Hong Kong. More lines were added during the 80's and 90's, including a youthful and lower priced line, Laurel, a bridge line, Apriori, and Escada Sport.

Margaretha Ley was the principle designer until her death in 1992. Since then there have been several designers.

ESCADA RED is a vibrant orange/red hue. I believe, but I can't substantiate it, that the color is protected in some way so that it cannot be used by anyone else. Copies do come close, however.These are all from Escada....

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

I believe in "sale" shopping. I very seldom buy anything unless it is on sale. This doesn't make me "stingy" or "cheap". It makes me SMART.

A few years ago I lived for a while in a condo that was attached to a major mall. I could just take the elevator down to the third floor walk down the hall, go through a semi-secret door and WALLA I'm at the mall.

Every woman's dream!

I would shop my favorite stores checking out the new merchandise, trying my favorites on and then putting them back on the rack.

I would then check back and watch until the day they went on sale and if the mark down was enough, I would purchase. If my size was gone, I would just say, "oh well, it wasn't meant to be" and move on.

OR

Often times, the store may be out of your size, but it may still be available on line. Often, if you have the clerk order it for you, there is no shipping fee!

Now I live within 10 minutes of a mall that has a couple of my favorite stores..... Chico's and White House Black Market. I stroll in and immediately go to the sale racks. With both stores, I wait until their sale rack is an additional 40% off the already marked down price.

If I find something I like or have been watching and waiting for it to go on sale, but my size is gone, I find it online!

A few weeks ago I stopped by Chico's. Their sale rack was an additional 40% off, and I found this extra long cardigan with beautiful raised woven Jacquard floral. It was the only one on the rack and in my size. It had been marked down twice from it's original price of $159.00 and then another 40% making it $25.00! I walked around the store with it in hand looking for coordinates. I found the ribbed turtleneck (I have the same one in other colors) in a stack that was on sale for $19.00 (normally $59.00). I found the coordinating pants at the front of the store on sale for $19.00. They are the Juliet Ankle Pants which I am familiar with and normally sell for $79.00.

It may be that I can only wear this ensemble for a few more weeks of colder weather, but it will be like new this Fall.

I accessorized with an old necklace that ties in with the sweater trim.

Shoes are from Justfab.com

You don't have to be a millionaire to look "classy". You just have to be SMART!

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel is a fashion icon. I love her story.............She was born into a poor family in France in the year 1883. After the passing of her mother, she (age 12) and her younger sister were left in an orphanage run by nuns. It was here that she learned to sew.Leaving the convent at age 18, Gabrielle became known as Coco after singing the song "Ko Ko Ri Ko" in a small French cafe in the evenings.

Coco was beautiful and talented. Because of the financial assistance and social connections of various male admirers throughout her life, she always seemed to have the backing for her creativity.Her first shop was a millinery (hat) boutique funded by her first lover, Etienne Balsan. A sad love story. I suggest you view the movie, Coco Before Chanel. It is a French movie with English subtitles. Have a box of Kleenex with you. View the trailer here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isEnyrd2MocCoco's later financier, Arthur Edward "Boy" Capel , was instrumental in making her dreams of designing for the wealthy clientele possible. She wanted to liberate women from the tight corsets of the day by designing loose fitting cotton jersey clothing. Her easy flowing designs became popular and in demand.In 1920 she launched her perfume, Chanel No. 5. In Chanel's words, Perfume “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. . . . that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure,”

In 1925, she introduced the now legendary Chanel suit with straight jacket, often without a collar and well-fitted skirt straight or pleated. Her designs were revolutionary for the time—borrowing elements of men’s wear and emphasizing comfort over the constraints of then-popular fashions.

Another 1920s revolutionary design was Chanel’s little black dress. She took a color once associated with mourning and showed just how chic it could be for evening wear

She fought through the depression of the 1930's, but with the onset of World War II, she closed her design house with the German occupation of much of France.In 1954, at the age of 71, Chanel returned to the world of fashion after her vocal outrage over the waist cinching designs of Christian Dior and Balenciaga. The Chanel suit became a popular status symbol for a new generation, made of tweed fabric with its slim skirt and collarless jacket trimmed in braid and patch pockets, and sewn into the hem - a gold colored chain - ensuring the jacket hang properly.

Coco Chanel died on January 10, 1971, at her apartment in the Hotel Ritz. She never married, but was rumored to have many lovers. In her own words: “I never wanted to weigh more heavily on a man than a bird.” Hundreds crowded together at the Church of the Madeleine to bid farewell to the fashion icon, many wearing Chanel suits.Karl Lagerfeld took over the Chanel haute couture in 1983 and the ready-to-wear in 1984. He continues to use the signature design and details of the CC label. The fact that he can use the Chanel inspiration from the archives is a testament to the importance of Coco Chanel.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

This one is from Chico's and I just love the way it fits. I normally buy a size one top and size zero pant. I bought it in size one and it is perfect. I am long waisted and it is cut to fit just right.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Christian Dior was born in the town of Granville on the coast of Northern France in 1905. When he was five, his family moved to Paris.His parents had dreams of him becoming a diplomat, but Dior was artistically inclined and after graduating in Political Science, he opened a small art gallery. After closing the gallery three years later, he made money by selling his fashion sketches, eventually becoming a magazine illustrator in 1935.With the outbreak of WWII, he served in the French Army.In 1942 after his service, he returned to Paris and began working for couturier Lucien Long where they dressed the wives of Nazi officers and French collaborators in order to preserve the fashion industry.The House of Christian Dior was founded in 1946 in Paris and in 1947 Dior showed his debut collection.The "look" consisted of a mid-calf full skirt with a cinched waist and fuller bust.

In 1948, Dior established a luxury ready-to-wear house in New York City.

A costume fitting with Hollywood actress Ava Gardner for her film The Little Hut (1957)

In 1955, nineteen year old Yves Saint Laurent became Dior's design assistant.

Just two years later, Dior was vacationing in Italy when he had his third heart attack and died at the age of 52. It was estimated that 2,500 people attended his funeral in France.Yves Saint Laurent after the funeral. He remained the creative force for a while until having to serve in the military.

Over the next years, there were a number of style directors at the House of Dior. John Galliano served as creative director from 1977 to 2011. Paris Fashion Week Spring 2018 .......Fir the first time a woman is in charge. Maria Grazia Chiuri was said to have re-invented Christian Dior.

Meet Jill

I’m Jill and I’m way past 50!Fashion has always been a large part of my life. I began sewing when I was twelve and finished as a community college adjunct professor in their Fashion Program.I’ve always been aware of the latest trends. I wore the mini skirts, hot pants, bell bottoms and granny dresses of the 70’s and continued to wear every new fashion trend until I realized that as I’ve grown older, I need to be more selective, completely eliminating some trends and altering others.I’m not a model, but I am an educator. My goal in writing this Blog is to share some fashion concepts, help us better understand what we can do to look our best and BE our best.I hope that I never grow so old that I lose my enthusiasm for Fashion! After all……………..Fashion is what separates us from the rest of the Animal Kingdom!